Peregrine Falcons, the fastest bird on this planet has many exciting facts.
These medium-sized bird species are found in at least all continents except Antarctica. There are many reasons why this is considered a special bird species. Go through this article to know these exciting facts about the peregrine falcon.
What is the meaning of “Peregrine”?
This is a Latin word that means wanderer. This term was derived from Peregrinus, a Latin word. They got this term due to their hunting habits. Pliny the Elder was the first person to name them. He wrote about Peregrine Falcon in his book named natural history.
They can fly at a speed of 320 kph!
This is an unbelievably true fact about Peregrine Falcon. They are considered the fastest creatures in the world for generating this unreal speed. Due to this, the peregrine falcon is regarded as one of the best hunter bird species.
The appearance of the peregrine falcon:
They are one of the biggest species of falcon, and powerful too. Their wings are long and bluntly pointed. The tail is relatively short. Interestingly, the undersides of the long wings are barred with dark-colored stripes. The crown region of their head is dark-colored. They possess a black-colored mustache, which provides a hooded expression. Baby peregrines look a bit different than adults. They have a dark brown colored plumage. The tip of the feather is pale-colored. The Female version is bigger Than the Male falcon. The female peregrines weigh around 1000- 1,200 grams, while the male birds are only 700-800 grams in weight. Even the female peregrines are at least 3-4 inches taller than males. This difference in size and weight is caused due to energy requirements for a female peregrine to produce eggs.
Peregrine Falcons are found everywhere except the antarctic region:
Peregrine Falcons are prevalent in almost every continent. The only place they are not found in Antarctica. However, their prevalence is highly affected by anthropogenic activities, climate, and the occurrence of food. Usually, they build a nest in high buildings or bridges. But, increased human activities have caused their extinction from various places.
Peregrines can be used to reduce pest population:
The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest hunter bird. Thus, humans have tried them to use in pest control programs. Pests cause huge destruction of agricultural products. Peregrine falcons are nowadays trained to kill pests. Obviously, it is a time-consuming process that needs a lot of effort.
The Peregrine Falcon possesses very strong eyesight:
All hunter birds have good eyesight. The peregrine falcons can identify a Mouse From a distance of 3 km. Surprising, right? Their vision is 7-8 times stronger than humans.
The population of Peregrine Falcons is decreasing:
After the second World war, the use of DDT increased rapidly, which led to the extinction of many bird species. Peregrine Falcon is also affected badly due to this. Now, they are placed on the list of IUCN Red List in the least concern category.
Aren't those facts about Peregrine Falcon interesting?
